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Education

The Three D’s of Off-Leash Time with Your Dog

Dogs love and need off-leash time. Time to run, play, explore, climb, and satisfy their innate drives. They need time to just be dogs.

As much as most dog owners want to give their dogs a fulfilling life, many are unprepared for the effort required to allow a dog this amount of freedom. It can be exhausting!

I say it a lot, the more freedom Riley has, the more responsibility I have. If I’m allowing her time to go into prey drive and hunt squirrels, then I’m also accepting responsibility for all the things that she can’t and won’t see because her focus is set on whatever she is tracking or treeing.

Let me talk a little more about this.

Riley’s breed was created to hunt and to herd, so she has a very strong prey drive and to a lesser extent a herding drive. In fairness, I have seen the herding drive in action and it’s there but it’s not something I’m in a situation to facilitate for her as readily as the hunting drive, so it’s not nearly as developed.

When Riley is focused on prey, what I call being in “hunt mode”, she develops tunnel vision I have seen her run at top speed past a person with less than an inch between them and it’s evident that at no point did she see or register that a human being was there. She only saw the prey. It can be difficult for her to hear and to switch gears (we do a lot of work to help with this, and I’ll talk about that in another post).

With all that said, if she can only hear and see certain things and blocks out everything else then it is my job to be aware and vigilant for her. For me, it means I’m looking for what I call “the three D’s” – Danger, Distraction, and Diversion. This is also why I don’t have as much video footage of her as I would like to have because taking video and even photos when we’re out like that takes too much attention away from what I need to do to keep her safe.

Let’s look at each of these things

DANGER

Danger is going to look different depending on your dog, their drives, their training, and your environment. What is a danger for Riley and me when we’re hunting squirrels in a treelined business complex is different than what I would look for in an off-leash park or on an off-leash hike.

If we’re in a business area, I’m watching for cars, people, and dogs (both on and off-leash). Essentially anything that might be a threat to her and her safety. I’m watching the ground for unexpected things that could cause injury – broken glass, garbage, holes in the ground.

If we’re in an off-leash area, the danger is different. The odds of there being a moving vehicle in an open field are pretty low but there are natural/physical pitfalls – treats or food left on the ground (Riley is very sensitive to chicken), holes she might not see, garbage, broken glass and other things that might harm her. I watch how people engage with their dogs to decide if I’ll allow Riley to approach or not. Depending on where we are I may also watch for animals that could be a danger to her.

Anything that she might miss that could cause her harm falls in this category and I watch for as much of it as I possibly can, especially when I’m allowing her to hunt and burn off some energy.

DISTRACTIONS

People and dogs fall under danger and distractions I’m watching for distractions to determine if they are dangerous or not.

What does that mean?

If she is tracking a squirrel and we’re close to the street and I see another squirrel across the street, that is a dangerous distraction. If she sees it and I don’t get her attention in time, she is likely to bolt after it and not pay attention to cars or anything else that might be between her and the squirrel. I need to see it before she does, so I can redirect if necessary.

If the squirrel or rabbit or whatever she’s tracking is being “squirrely” meaning it looks likely that it’s going to bolt across the street instead of staying in whatever area it’s currently in – I will call her out.

If crows are messing with her or trying to get her attention, I’m watching to see where they are circling. They tend to follow a pattern so I can tell if they are going to stay where I want her or they are going to lead her somewhere I don’t want her to go.

Distractions could also be things like maintenance and landscape crews working in the area or construction crews whose equipment might make a lot of noise. These distractions could create a situation where she gets fearful and has an anxiety response. Not only might that distract her from what she’s doing, but it may also shut her down or send her into an avoidance response where she struggles to hear me or remember that I’m there at all. Survival mode can kick in.

There’s a lot of overlap between dangers and distractions.

DIVERSIONS

Diversions are places and things I identify in the environment that would allow me to help her switch gears from hunter-brain to paying attention to me. Something that is still stimulating and offers engagement but helps transition her from that single-focused, high-alert, adrenaline-pumping mindset to something more relational and engaged with me.

Riley loves to climb trees, go upstairs, jump on and off rocks and walls, and hop up on tables. Knowing this, I look for places where I can take her to do these kinds of things.

To help manage her energy and focus and keep her from getting overstimulated, I alternate between opportunities to run amok and chase squirrels and exercise that prey drives and other more relational activities that allow her to calm down and focus on me even as she continues to exert mental, emotional, and physical energy.

These kinds of activities also often double as confidence-building exercises; things that challenge her and make her think. So there is a lot of benefit in incorporating them in our outings.

Finding and using these diversion opportunities has made a huge difference in our walks because I walk her through some things before I put her back on leash which puts her more into a pack mentality, which helps her pay attention to me and walk with me nicely when I put her leash on to head home.

Here’s an example: A Saturday outing might include 10 minutes chasing squirrels, followed by running up and down a flight of stairs or playing hide and seek; back to hunting and chasing squirrels; then climbing over rocks or up in a tree; more hunting; then some obedience and impulse control work before leashing up and walking to a local coffee shop where we do obedience and desensitization work on the patio; then walking home.

PAWS AND CONSIDER

  • What drives does your dog have that you either want to fulfill or already have ways you fulfill?
  • What frame of mind is your dog in when they are engaged in that drive?
  • What dangers does this frame of mind present that might not be dangers when they are not actively engaged in that drive?
  • What people and things in the environment might your dog be a danger to?
  • What distractions might you encounter when you’re spending time off-leash with your dog?
  • What might the result be if your dog were to be distracted?
  • How could you get their attention if they are faced with a danger or a distraction?
  • How certain are you they would respond, particularly if they are off leash?
  • What backups do you have if they don’t respond to your voice and are off-leash?
  • What does your dog enjoy that provides the opportunity for them to engage with and focus on you?
  • How might you blend some of these diversions in when you’re allowing them to exercise other drives?
  • How can you be aware of the Dangers, Distractions, and Diversion opportunities in the environment in which you usually work with your dog?
Education

TRAINING CLARITY: Factor Yourself into the Equation

Introduction

Getting training for your dog can be a lot of work, even confusing. Finding the right trainer, knowing what to look for, ask for, and expect; understanding your role and theirs, even knowing what success looks like for you.

In this series of posts, I’m going to talk about Training Clarity.

Keep in mind, as with all the other posts I write, that I am not a trainer. I train one dog, mine. With that said, I have worked with multiple trainers – not just in training Riley,  but as an office assistant and training developer. I’ve had an inside peek and been the person who needed help with their dog.

I’ve had the experience of using Riley as a distraction dog in training sessions and helping with puppies on puppy play dates.

That’s the place I will write these posts from.

Factoring Yourself into the Equation

One of the things I learned working in the office of a dog trainer is that many clients don’t factor themselves into the equation when considering working with a trainer.

What does that mean?

You should know yourself and what you need. Here are some things you should know about yourself:

  • How do you learn best?
    • Verbally
    • Visual
    • Written
    • Hands-on
    • A combination (and what combination)
  • How do you prefer to communicate?
    • Email
    • Phone
    • Text
    • Videos
    • Writing
    • Audio
  • Do you prefer someone who gets straight to the point or someone who explains in detail?
  • How much communication do you like or want between sessions?
  • How much access do you want to a trainer and what kind of access?
  • Are you open to using “tools” such as an e-collar, prong collar, slip lead, etc.?
    • If so, which ones are you open to?
    • If not, which ones do you prefer not to use and why?
    • Are you open to being educated about any of the tools you prefer not to use, if a trainer deems it appropriate for your dog?
  • Do you know what you want out of training? E.G., what are your goals with your dog?
    • Basic obedience
    • Behavior modification
    • Advanced obedience
    • Sport training
    • “Work” training (therapy dog, service dog, ESA, protection)

It doesn’t just matter if the trainer is a good fit for your dog. It matters if they are a good fit for you. So, knowing these kinds of things are important.

As you’re talking to trainers, pay attention to these things in addition to what they have to say about their general training philosophy and approach:

  • Do you like their personality?
  • Do they communicate in a way you understand? Using words that make sense to you and explaining things that don’t?
  • Is their training style aligned with how you learn?
  • Do they listen to you, your needs, and your goals?
  • In training sessions are they going to be doing most of the handling or are they going to coach you through the handling?
  • How are they going to be communicating the training plan and progress with you?
  • Will their approach work for you?

You are an essential element in the training of your dog and your ability to communicate with and understand the trainer is very important, but it’s something many owners don’t even consider.

Yes, you want your dog to like them and respond to them. You want them to be experienced and knowledgeable. You want them to have the availability you need so you can make training work. But don’t forget to factor yourself into the equation and consider your needs, too.

Education

Deciphering Dog Body Language: Understanding Spatial Pressure

Dogs are physical. Sometimes we forget that. Besides barking, their primary means of communication with us and other animals is through their body language. They make themselves big. They make themselves small. They appease. They push. They raise their lips. They bear their teeth. They paw. They jump. They invade space or pull away.

This became abundantly clear to me one day when I was walking Riley and I noticed how she directed me. Yes, she was directing me, and all the time I thought I was leading the walk!

When she walked on my left she would move her body closer to me to get me to go right. She would pause, just slightly, and look left to get me to go left. She would move ahead faster hoping I’d keep up when she had somewhere she wanted to go but didn’t think that’s where I was going to lead. And all of it was communication. She was not pulling on the leash. She was using her body, eye contact, and pace – what trainers call “pressure”.

This one walk taught me so much about how she communicates and how I could use the same kind of pressure with my body, eyes, and pace to communicate with her. I felt like I finally understood what learning to work with pressure in dog training meant.

There are all kinds of pressure: eye pressure, vocal pressure, social pressure, and spacial pressure to name a few. What I described with the walk above was all physical or spacial pressure.

BASIC SPATIAL PRESSURE

She moved closer. She sped up. She slowed down. She created distance. It’s all about space. She wants us to move together (this is “pack drive” in action, which we’ll talk about in another post) and she’s using her body to not only lead the walk but keep us moving in the same direction.

Using spacial pressure like this, she creates a sense of safety and it gives her confidence. The pack moving together, seamlessly following the spacial pressure created by one another as needs and wants are communicated physically, without words, protects.

Looking at how she did this with me, I began applying the same principles on our walks.

Yes, sometimes I let her lead and follow her but there are also times that she needs to follow me, for any number of reasons. In those cases, I step closer to her to get her to turn to the left. I create space to get her to turn to the left. I slow down to get her attention so we can recalibrate. I speed up when I want her to go somewhere she may not necessarily want to go and wasn’t as cute as I thought it was.

I also listen to her. If there’s a direction she absolutely does not want to go no matter how much pressure I apply and I can’t see any reason not to go that way – I trust her instincts. I remind myself that she can hear, see, and smell things that I cannot and if she doesn’t want to go a certain direction, I pay attention. Pack drive. Safety. Confidence. She trusts me and I trust her. That’s the goal. And part of that is speaking the same language.

HEAD AND PAWS

Sometimes dogs use their head or paws to communicate and create pressure.

When Riley was a puppy, if she wanted to initiate play with a dog that was ignoring her, she would go up and put her head over their back or a paw on their back. Even though she was usually much smaller than them. I learned later this was her asserting dominance and trying to force them to do what she wanted.

Another way she would initiate play was to lay in the middle of the park on her back and flail her paws around. She was baiting the dogs into thinking she was submissive and weak. It was remarkable. They would circle her like prey and when she was ready, she would spring into the air and go after them.

She was communicating, faking them out, but communicating. “I want to play. I want to engage. And I’ll do whatever I can to get your attention.“

If she wants something from me and I’m not paying attention to her, sometimes she will put a paw (or two) on my leg or lay her head on me. She’s not being adorable and cuddly, she’s asking for my attention. If I don’t see her body language then she can’t communicate, so this is one way she gets me to look at her so she can communicate with me.

Observing this taught me that I can use my hands to communicate with her, too. I can put a hand on her shoulder or her chest to gently get her attention. If I want to get her to play and she’s not being very playful, I’ll put my hand on the middle of her back (like she would do with other dogs and her paws) or lay on my back on the floor. One of these almost always gets her attention, and always makes me laugh as I realize I’m doing to her what she used to do to other dogs.

GUARDING

Spacial pressure can also show up as guarding.

When Riley does not want another dog, person, or other animal or thing in my space, she tries to put herself between me and whatever the “intruder” is. This is spatial pressure, too. She’s putting pressure on the other person or critter to back away from me.

This is not a type of spacial pressure I allow. I won’t let her guard me like that. And we’ve worked hard on that. That’s a choice I have made about what I will and won’t allow in our relationship. This kind of pressure creates tension and anxiety and that’s not the kind of energy I want to foster.

With that said, I do “guard” her. I do this as a means of advocating for her and creating space so she can make good decisions, but also so she knows I have her back. I will step between her and strangers or other dogs. I will step in front of her when we are approaching a new object or environment and scope it out first. All of this communicates to her that I am the one guarding her and she can relax.

Note: this is an oversimplified example of guarding. If your dog has guarding behaviors, I encourage you to talk to a trainer to learn how to address these behaviors.

CONCLUSION

Oh, we humans, don’t like the idea of using pressure to train and communicate with dogs. We have this idea that it is negative, bad, or mean. But the truth is, dogs use it to communicate all day long and it’s as natural and instinctual to them as breathing.

Part of the disconnect comes in because we think that dogs should figure out how WE communicate. They should figure out OUR vocabulary. And, it’s lazy. Sure, they will figure it out over time and with repetition, but if we want to invest in our relationship with our dogs, we’ll take stock of how THEY communicate with us. Their language. And we’ll mirror it back to them to communicate with them.

Think about it this way, have you ever started a new job in an industry you weren’t familiar with and suddenly found yourself facing a whole new vocabulary, new acronyms, almost like a whole new language? It can feel like you’re an outsider, never fully understanding what is being said and not really knowing what is being expected. That’s frustrating, lonely, and stressful.

The same thing happens with our dogs. They come into our homes – a whole new set of expectations and a foreign vocabulary. Even if they lived with humans before, they have never lived with you. They don’t know how you communicate, what your words mean, your unique tones, and hand motions and physical movements. Rather than stressing them out more than necessary, isn’t it an incredible kindness to learn their language so they can begin to put things together and make sense of the world they find themselves in (particularly when that world is your life)?

So, I encourage you to put aside the negative connotations and beliefs about pressure and begin to observe them, “listen” to their body language and spatial pressure, and as you learn what they mean, begin practicing communicating back with them in similar ways. It takes time and effort, but something amazing happens when we intentionally take the time to speak someone else’s language, even when that someone else is your dog. It’s one more way you can re-imagine dog ownership and enhance your relationship with your dog.

And, as always, I encourage you to work with a trainer to help you decipher your dog’s unique communication and enhance how you communicate with them.

Education

Deciphering Dog Body Language: Hackles

What is the first thing you think when you see a dog with raised hackles?

The average person believes that raised hair on a dogs back, neck, and/or shoulders means the dog is angry, aggressive, and ready to attack. And, while this may be the case, it is not necessarily true.

Watch this short YouTube video of Riley hunting for tennis balls.

Do you notice the raised fur on her back, the place where the fur is much darker? That is her “hackles” being raised. She’s not angry or aggressive. So why are her hackles raised?

Raised hackles on dogs (technically called piloerection) happen for A LOT of different reasons. Here are some things that might cause a dog’s hackles to go up:

  • Excitement
  • Curiosity
  • Fear
  • Tentativeness/Caution
  • Overstimulated
  • Focus
  • Hunting
  • Fight or Flight
  • Aggression

Raised hackles don’t happen voluntarily. It is an involuntary response to stimulation caused by the dog’s sympathetic nervous system, kind of like when a person gets goosebumps.

In the video, you see Riley doing something she enjoys – she’s hunting for and finding tennis balls. It’s very stimulating for her, but ordinarily not overstimulating. What you don’t know just by watching the video is that Riley had a vet appointment a couple of days prior and it left her a little off-kilter. She was just starting to feel like herself, but wasn’t 100% back to normal.

So what do her raised hackles, in this video, communicate to me as her owner? First, because I know they aren’t normally raised when she’s hunting tennis balls, I can see she’s still very sensitive to stimulation. Knowing this allowed me to dial back what I had planned for her that day because even though she was feeling better, she still needed recovery time. Second, it tells me that she is having fun, it’s just a lot for her tired nervous system.

Here are some other times I’ve observed raised hackles on Riley, what it tells me, and what I do in response. Every dog is different so you may not notice raised hackles on your dog in the same scenarios.

AT PLAY

When Riley is playing her hackles often go up when she’s getting overstimulated or overly excited. This isn’t a bad thing and ordinarily she will take a break within a minute or two of her hackles going up, shake it off, and then re-engage or take a longer break and go chew on a stick. As her owner, I watch her when she’s at play and if I see her hackles up but she doesn’t take a break relatively quickly, then I intervene and ask her to take a break. (Literally, the command I use is “Take a break“.)

I ask for a break if she doesn’t want to take one because it’s my responsibility to keep her safe and to advocate for her and the other dog she’s playing with. It’s easy for play wrestling and chasing to go too far when one or both dogs become overstimulated. Raised hackles are an easy clue that it’s time for a break. How long the break is depends on the needs of the dog. In Riley’s case, she often just needs a quick shake – which releases tension from the body and resets the nervous system – and then she’s ready to go back. That can be as short as a few seconds. If she needs a longer break, she’ll take it. Thankfully she’s good at regulating herself that way most of the time, not all dogs are. Some dogs need support to know when it’s safe for them to re-engage.

HUNTING/CHASING SQUIRRELS

Often Riley’s hackles are raised when she’s chasing squirrels. Rarely does it happen while she’s stalking them, but it almost always happens once she begins chasing them or has them treed. The more time she spent stalking the squirrel or the more squirrels there are, the more likely her hackles will go up.

This is excitement and part of her prey drive. Raised hackles make dogs look bigger than they are, increasing the intimidation factor, which protects them while they are focused on their prey.

In this case, I don’t ask her to take a break. It’s just part of her body language when she’s chasing squirrels and I’m okay with that. She’ll shake it off when she’s ready to.

Let me clarify this a little further, there are times that I intentionally take her places where she can hunt and chase all the squirrels she wants. There are other times when we’re walking and chasing a squirrel or other small prey is not the point, her hackles up are not the first sign that she’s ready to chase but if I see anything in her body language that indicates she’s in hunting mode/prey drive during these times, I get her attention. This is part of impulse control and it’s vital.

For my purposes with Riley, I want to be able to give a command and have her transition from prey drive back to attention on me (sometimes called pack drive but also an element of handler awareness) even if she’s mid-run after a squirrel she has been actively stalking. We work on this regularly and most of the time she’s very good at it. There are still occasions where the hunter wins and she tries to take off (or does take off) but that is 1 in 1,000 times and is part of owning a dog.

NEW OBJECTS IN A FAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT

If we’re in a familiar environment and there is something out of place or something new often Riley will get rigid and her hackles will go up. Her body is saying, “There’s something here that I didn’t expect and I don’t know what it is. I need to be cautious and prepared to fight or run away.”

Depending on what the thing is, where we’re at, and what we’re doing, I let her explore it. As soon as she deems it not a threat, her hackles go down and her body softens. How quickly that happens depends on what the thing is and her state of mind before seeing it.

Let me give you an example.

A child leaves a toy in a grassy area where we frequently walk.

Most of the time Riley’s body will stiffen, she may even stop completely while she looks all around to see if there are other changes. Her hackles will rise and she’ll begin walking toward the unrecognized object in a weaving pattern, puffing out her chest making herself as big as possible. (Note the hackles and puffing of the chest are not voluntary responses. It’s a protective mechanism.) She sniffs the area near the object as she continues approaching and when she’s satisfied it’s safe, she relaxes and moves on.

I’ve seen this behavior with tools landscapers have left lying beside a building, toys, napkins, or paper bags lying on the sidewalk or parking lot, portapotties, traffic cones, etc. Once she’s ascertained there is no threat, she’s good to go.

Not every dog is skeptical or cautious about new items in their environment, but I know Riley is, and her raised hackles let me know she’s feeling uncertain. I can use this information to walk with her toward something that is scaring her to help show her that it’s safe if it’s not something she’s willing to approach on her own. Doing this increases her confidence and allows her the opportunity to safely explore new things with less stress.

NEW ENVIRONMENTS

A new environment might be a place we have never been, a place we have not been in a very long time, or a place we go often but under different circumstances. For example, if I take her to do public access training at a store when it is not busy but one day take her to that store where there is a lot of activity (maybe it’s freight day, or a sale is going on, or there are just more people than normal) it may as well be a completely new environment because so much in the environment is new or different.

Sometimes I see her hackles go up in this scenario and sometimes I don’t. It depends on how she feels about the environment and how she’s feeling generally. It’s easy to forget that dogs have off days too, and something that wouldn’t be a problem most of the time, can be an issue when they aren’t on top of their game. Raised hackles can communicate that this might be too much, depending on the rest of their body language.

In new environments, I give Riley time to acclimate. I also do a personal check-in – am I nervous, anxious, or on edge? I try to do that personal check-in before we go somewhere new because I know she feels about new environments how I feel about them and if I’m impatient, anxious, or not feeling great then I’m not going to be a good resource for her in a new space.

With that said, depending on where we are, if her body language doesn’t relax after several minutes, I won’t keep her in an overstimulated state. We’ll leave and go somewhere that she can relax and try again later. Sometimes it requires multiple exposures to an environment to get her to a place where she can navigate it calmly and I’m okay with that.

YOUR DOG

I encourage you to take some time in the coming weeks to observe your dog and take note of when you see their hackles raised. What are they doing? How do they seem to be feeling? How quickly do they shake it off and the hackles go back down? Are there environments where raised hackles happen more often than others? Are there people or dogs you see the hackles go up around? What are the people doing? What are the dogs doing? What is the rest of your dog’s body doing?

If your dog is nervous or reactive, sometimes seeing raised hackles can be a stressor because you’ve seen them so often in reactive situations. But if you start to watch you’ll likely discover early warning signs that can help you support them successfully navigate high-stress situations; which could contribute to you being more calm and present.

The more you know about your dog and how they communicate – voluntarily and involuntarily – the better you will be able to communicate with them, and the more harmony you’ll find in your relationship.

READ THE WHOLE BODY

I’m going to do more posts about deciphering dog body language because I think it’s one of the most confusing things as a dog owner and incredibly valuable. Especially when you begin learning to decipher what your dog is communicating. Just keep in mind as we go through the series, that it’s rarely one thing that tells you what your dog thinks, feels, or needs but a combination of things. Raised hackles are a piece of the communication puzzle, but their eyes, tail, head, chest, neck, the way they are walking, and even the position of their body relative to you are components that need to be understood and considered as well.

Of course, the best way to know what your dog is telling you, is through intentional observation and engagement, and that takes time.

Education

Definitions: What is “Handler Awareness”?

“Handler awareness” generally refers to the amount of attention or “awareness” a dog gives to the person who is their handler – whether that is their owner, trainer, dog walker, or someone else.

For example, if I’m out with Riley, I am her “handler”. If my mom is taking her for a walk, then my mom is her ‘handler”. If she goes on an outing with a trainer, the trainer is her “handler”. Basically, whoever is responsible for guiding the dog in their environment at the time is the handler.

Awareness is not just about whether they obey or not. It’s about check-ins and general attentiveness.

Does the dog look at you periodically? Do they even acknowledge your existence? If they are headed in a direction they have not been before, do they look to you for approval or do they plunge ahead?

Handler awareness is something that can be taught and it’s primarily about communication. Does the dog trust you and rely on you for guidance and leadership in whatever environment you happen to be in at the time? If they do, they will look to you and follow your lead.

This is where most definitions of handler awareness end – the dog is aware of their handler and responsive to them.

What I have discovered is that there is another, equally important facet of handler awareness that isn’t discussed nearly enough. And that is the awareness the handler has of the dog.

Awareness goes both ways.

Why should Riley be aware of me and checking in with me, if I’m not paying attention to her? If I’m on my phone or engrossed in conversation and not attentive to what is happening with her, then I’m going to miss her check-ins, her requests for permission or direction, and other vital communications. The more of these I miss, the less valuable I become and the more disconnected she becomes.

This is something you can see clearly at a dog park.

There are dog owners there who are attentive and engaged with their dogs. They know where they are, and what they are doing, and they are providing guidance – verbal or non-verbal. They are watching and they take responsibility for their dogs’ behavior and needs.

Then there are the dog owners who check out. They get their dog inside the park and they are immediately on their phones or distracted. These people don’t know where their dog is or what they are doing until something happens that gets their attention – usually something negative.

And some people are too much. They stress their dog out. They are continually in their space, talking to them, asking things of them, and the dog has no freedom or autonomy. That’s not handler awareness, that’s anxiety. There’s a difference.

Let me give you an example of what good hander awareness might look like:

I take Riley to a field where she can safely run off-leash. I remove her leash and before running off she stops and looks at me, waiting for the go-ahead. I nod or say “free” and off she goes.

She sees a squirrel but it’s on the other side of the field, much further than I usually let her go. I know she’s tracking something because I’m paying attention to her, and I see her look at the squirrel and then look at me. I check out the environment to make sure it’s safe and give her a nod or “Go get it”. She takes off at full speed after the squirrel while I follow, paying attention to everything that her hunting drive mind can’t even see.

When she has treed the squirrel, she looks at me to see if I’m happy. Usually, I encourage her to “talk to it” and she hops around the tree, barking happily at her captive prey. Then I call her “out” and she stops and comes to me, and we walk off in some other direction to see if we can find more squirrels. I’m watching and paying attention to her and the environment, she’s periodically looking at me while she’s looking for more squirrels.

Handler awareness is important in a dog-owner relationship. It helps keep the dog safe. It keeps communication open. It helps to build confidence and trust even as it deepens relationships. It also helps a dog develop impulse control. Just that single moment of stopping to check in before allowing the impulse to chase the squirrel or go say hello to a dog or friend makes a huge difference.

The fact that I know that Riley will not just take off without checking in even when we’re running around and she’s off-leash, gives me confidence in her. The fact that I also have backup commands for those times when impulse wins in her hunting dog brain, also helps. I know that 99% of the time Riley will stop on a dime if I say, “halt” even if she is mid-run after a squirrel, and I have the backup of an e-collar for that 1% where the adrenaline is too high for her to hear anything but the pounding of her own heart and the pull of the prey drive. That is all part of handler awareness.

It’s developed over time, and it requires intentionality and focus.

If you want your dog to pay attention to you, you need to pay attention to them.

Some dogs do this readily. They are naturally keyed into their handler. Some dogs are more aloof and distant, and they have to learn handler awareness. Some dogs can do it but choose not to.

Riley has had great handler awareness with me from day one, which has been a blessing. It has improved and grown stronger as we’ve established our relationship over the last six years. And I’ve worked hard and intentionally to help her build handler awareness with people I trust; friends and my mom who walk her; the trainer who used to take her on half-day pack outings. This matters because if there’s ever a time I can’t take care of her, I want her to be reliable for whoever is helping take care of her for me.

It’s not something we often think about when we first get a dog but helping them get used to someone else walking and leading them; to someone else caring for them, feeding them, and giving them commands is important. We don’t necessarily plan to be in a position where we can’t be there but if you have your dog for 10-16 years odds are there’s going to be a time when you will board them or have a dog sitter or a dog walker.

I broke my foot and couldn’t walk her. Then I got COVID and landed in the hospital for a month. When I got home it was a long recovery. I thanked God every day that I had a support system in place that included her. That I could trust her with the people taking care of her. I knew they knew her needs and preferences and communication style and that they would take good care of her; and that she would be okay. Not just because I built the relationships but because I was intentional about developing handler awareness with people other than me, with her.

I’m not bragging. Much of it was done without really realizing what I was doing. I’m sharing because it’s much better to do things like this on purpose, and half the battle is understanding what handler awareness is.

I encourage you to start paying attention to the subtle and not-so-subtle ways your dog communicates with you, both in the home and when you’re out and about. How much attention are they giving you? Are they uber-dependent and stuck to you like glue to the point where they get anxious if you take a few steps away from them? Are they so independent that it feels like they don’t even know you’re there?

It doesn’t matter where you are, it matters that you recognize it so you can begin making changes. This is something a good trainer can help you develop.